EP0275116B1 - Appareil de reproduction pour une image de radiation - Google Patents

Appareil de reproduction pour une image de radiation Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0275116B1
EP0275116B1 EP88100525A EP88100525A EP0275116B1 EP 0275116 B1 EP0275116 B1 EP 0275116B1 EP 88100525 A EP88100525 A EP 88100525A EP 88100525 A EP88100525 A EP 88100525A EP 0275116 B1 EP0275116 B1 EP 0275116B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
light guide
guide member
stimulable phosphor
phosphor sheet
fluorescent light
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP88100525A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0275116A2 (fr
EP0275116A3 (en
Inventor
Yuichi C/O Fuji Photo Film Co. Ltd. Hosoi
Kenji C/O Fuji Photo Film Co. Ltd. Takahashi
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Fujifilm Holdings Corp
Original Assignee
Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd filed Critical Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd
Publication of EP0275116A2 publication Critical patent/EP0275116A2/fr
Publication of EP0275116A3 publication Critical patent/EP0275116A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0275116B1 publication Critical patent/EP0275116B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03B—APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
    • G03B42/00—Obtaining records using waves other than optical waves; Visualisation of such records by using optical means
    • G03B42/02—Obtaining records using waves other than optical waves; Visualisation of such records by using optical means using X-rays
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01T—MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION
    • G01T1/00—Measuring X-radiation, gamma radiation, corpuscular radiation, or cosmic radiation
    • G01T1/16—Measuring radiation intensity
    • G01T1/20—Measuring radiation intensity with scintillation detectors
    • G01T1/2012—Measuring radiation intensity with scintillation detectors using stimulable phosphors, e.g. stimulable phosphor sheets
    • G01T1/2014—Reading out of stimulable sheets, e.g. latent image

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a radiation image read-out apparatus for exposing a stimulable phosphor sheet carrying a radiation image stored thereon to stimulating rays which cause it to emit light in proportion to the stored radiation energy, and detecting the emitted light to obtain electric image signals.
  • This invention particularly relates to a radiation image read-out apparatus which efficiently guides and detects the light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet and which is formed small.
  • phosphors When certain kinds of phosphors are exposed to a radiation such as X-rays, ⁇ -rays, ⁇ -rays, ⁇ -rays, cathode rays or ultraviolet rays, they store a part of the energy of the radiation. Then, when the phosphor which has been exposed to the radiation is exposed to stimulating rays such as visible light, light is emitted by the phosphor in proportion to the stored energy of the radiation. A phosphor exhibiting such properties is referred to as a stimulable phosphor.
  • a stimulable phosphor sheet As disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. US-A-4,258,264, US-A-4,276,473, US-A-4,315,318 and US-A-4,387,428, it has been proposed to use a stimulable phosphor in a radiation image recording and reproducing system. Specifically, a sheet provided with a layer of the stimulable phosphor (hereinafter referred to as a stimulable phosphor sheet) is first exposed to a radiation passing through an object such as the human body to have a radiation image of the object stored thereon, and is then exposed to stimulating rays such as a laser beam which cause it to emit light in proportion to the stored radiation energy. The light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet upon stimulation thereof is photoelectrically detected and converted to electric image signals, which are processed as desired to reproduce a visible image having an improved image quality, particularly a high diagnostic efficiency and accuracy.
  • picture element division is effected by scanning with stimulating rays, and the light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet is detected by a light receiving device having a wide light receiving face, such as a photomultiplier or a photoconductive device.
  • picture element division is effected by a light receiving device such as a two-dimensional solid state image pickup device or a semiconductor line sensor, and electric image signals are sequentially generated by an electric circuit.
  • EP-A-0 129 831 and US-A-4,346,295 disclose an apparatus having a light guide member obtained by forming one end of a light guiding sheet in a linear shape to face a main scanning line of stimulating rays on the stimulable phosphor sheet, and bending the other end of the light guiding sheet to match the light receiving face of the photodetector. The light is received by the linear end face and is emitted from the bended end face into a photodetector.
  • the light guide member having such a complicated shape requires a large installation space.
  • a condensing lens may be utilized for guiding the light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet. In this case, however, the light receiving solid angle of the lens cannot actually be made so large, and therefore the light guiding efficiency cannot be improved so much.
  • the primary object of the present invention is to provide a radiation image read-out apparatus which is small and wherein light emitted by a stimulable phosphor sheet in proportion to the stored radiation energy upon stimulation thereof is efficiently guided to a photodetector having a relatively small area so that read-out image signals are obtained at a high S/N ratio.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide a radiation image read-out apparatus which enables reproduction of a visible radiation image having an improved image quality, particularly a high diagnostic efficiency and accuracy.
  • the phosphor contained in the fluorescent light guide member is stimulated by the light to radiate fluorescence.
  • the fluorescence advances to the end faces of the fluorescent light guide member by repeating total reflection inside of the fluorescent light guide member. Therefore, the fluorescence having a high intensity is radiated from the end faces of the fluorescent light guide member in such a form that energy of the light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet is condensed.
  • the optical amount of the fluorescence thus radiated is proportional to the optical amount of the light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet, and therefore the optical amount of the light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet can be detected indirectly by detecting the optical amount of the fluorescence by use of the photodetector closely contacted with either end face of the fluorescent light guide member.
  • the radiation image read-out apparatus in accordance with the present invention, the light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet in proportion to the stored radiation energy can be efficiently detected to obtain read-out image signals at a high S/N ratio. Therefore, a visible radiation image having an improved image quality, particularly a high diagnostic efficiency and accuracy, can be reproduced. Also, with the radiation image read-out apparatus wherein the light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet is guided by use of the fluorescent light guide member having a very simple shape, the apparatus can be made markedly smaller and cheaper than the conventional apparatus wherein the light guide member having a complicated shape as mentioned above is used.
  • a stimulable phosphor sheet 10 carrying a radiation image of an object stored thereon is moved by a sheet movement means 11 constituted by an endless belt or the like in a sub-scanning direction as indicated by the arrow Y.
  • a laser beam 13 produced as stimulating rays by a laser beam source 12 is deflected by a light deflector 14, which may be a galvanometer mirror or the like, and is made to scan on the stimulable phosphor sheet 10 in a main scanning direction as indicated by the arrow X approximately normal to the sub-scanning direction as indicated by the arrow Y.
  • the exposed portion of the stimulable phosphor sheet 10 emits light 15 in an optical amount proportional to the stored radiation energy.
  • a fluorescent light guide member 16 is disposed above the stimulable phosphor sheet 10.
  • the fluorescent light guide member 16 is composed of a plastic material and a phosphor dispersed therein.
  • the fluorescent light guide member 16 is selected so that it radiates fluorescence mainly having a wavelength of 500nm upon receiving the light 15 mainly having a wavelength of approximately 400nm emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet 10.
  • a product is supplied by Bayer Japan under the trade name LISA-PLASTIC.
  • the fluorescent light guide member 16 is formed in an elongated rectangular shape, and is disposed with its lower surface 16a facing the main scanning line of the laser beam 13 on the stimulable phosphor sheet 10.
  • a photodetector 17 constituted by, by way of example, a CCD type solid state semiconductor device is closely contacted with a side end face 16b of the fluorescent light guide member 16.
  • the fluorescent light guide member 16 Upon being exposed to the light 15 emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet 10, the fluorescent light guide member 16 radiates the fluorescence therein.
  • the fluorescence advances to the end face of the fluorescent light guide member 16 by repeating total reflection therein, and is radiated in the condensed form from the side end face 16b having an area markedly smaller than the area of the surface 16a.
  • a reflection member 18 is formed by, by way of example, vacuum evaporation of a metal material on the side end face of the fluorescent light guide member 16 opposite to the side end face 16b closely contacted with the photodetector 17. Therefore, the fluorescence is radiated mainly from the side end face 16b.
  • a metal face instead of the metal film formed by vacuum evaporation, a metal face, a white paint layer or the like may be utilized.
  • a reflection member may be provided close to the upper surface of the fluorescent light guide member 16, i.e. the surface opposite to the surface 16a.
  • the fluorescence radiated from the side end face 16b of the fluorescent light guide member 16 in the manner as mentioned above is detected by the photodetector 17.
  • the optical amount of the fluorescence is proportional to the optical amount of the light 15 emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet 10 as mentioned above, and therefore the output S1 of the photodetector 17 represents the optical amount of the light 15.
  • the output S1 of the photodetector 17 is fed to a read-out circuit 20 for carrying out processing such as amplification or logarithmic conversion.
  • the output S1 is integrated in the unit of a predetermined period on the basis of a synchronizing signal S2 in synchronization with the scanning of the laser beam 13, so that analog read-out image signals S3 divided into picture elements are sequentially obtained by the read-out circuit 20.
  • the read-out image signals S3 are digitized by an A/D converter 21, and fed to an image processing circuit 22 for carrying out signal processing (image processing) such as gradation processing or frequency response processing. Then, the readout image signals S3 are fed to an image reproducing apparatus 23 constituted by a CRT, a printer or the like, and used for reproducing the radiation image, which was stored on the stimulable phosphor sheet 10, as a visible image.
  • the S/N ratio of the read-out image signals S3 becomes high, and the apparatus can be formed small.
  • the spectral sensitivity characteristics of the photodetector 17 constituted by the solid state semiconductor device deteriorate on the short wavelength side.
  • the light 15 mainly having a wavelength of approximately 400nm emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet 10 is wavelength-converted to the fluorescence mainly having a wavelength of 500nm as mentioned above, and therefore the light 15 emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet 10 can be detected at a high sensitivity by the photodetector 17 having the aforesaid spectral sensitivity characteristics.
  • the fluorescent light guide member 16 and the laser beam 13 are selected so that the wavelength of the laser beam 13 does not overlap the stimulation wavelength range of the phosphor contained in the fluorescent light guide member 16, and the phosphor is not excited by the laser beam 13 reflected by the stimulable phosphor sheet 10. Also, the laser beam 13 reflected by the stimulable phosphor sheet 10 may enter the fluorescent light guide member 16, and therefore the phosphor contained in the fluorescent light guide member 16 is selected so that it radiates the fluorescence having a wavelength distribution different and far apart from the wavelength distribution of the laser beam 13.
  • a filter 19 for transmitting the fluorescence radiated by the fluorescent light guide member 16 and intercepting the laser beam 13 as the stimulating rays should preferably be provided between the side end face 16b of the fluorescent light guide member 16 and the photodetector 17.
  • a photoconductor type photodetector As the photodetector 17, a photoconductor type photodetector, a PIN photodiode, a photomultiplier or the like may also be employed.
  • the picture element division type sensor such as a SIT-, CCD- or MOS- type solid state semiconductor device
  • signal processing such as integration is carried out.
  • fluorescent light guide members 26, 26 face the main scanning line of the laser beam 13 on the stimulable phosphor sheet 10 from either side of the main scanning line.
  • the fluorescent light guide members 26, 26 are slightly spaced from each other, and the laser beam 13 is irradiated through the gap between the fluorescent light guide members 26, 26 to the stimulable phosphor sheet 10.
  • photodetectors 17, 17 are closely contacted with the side end faces of the fluorescent light guide members 26, 26 for detecting the fluorescence radiated by the fluorescent light guide members 26, 26 upon exposure to the light 15 emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet 10.
  • the fluorescent light guide members 26, 26 are disposed in this manner, the light 15 emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet 10 can be detected efficiently.
  • the fluorescent light guide members 26, 26 are formed in a curved shape so that the light 15 emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet 10 can be guided more efficiently into the fluorescent light guide members 26, 26.
  • the output of the photodetectors 17, 17 may be added together and fed to the read-out circuit.
  • a single photodetector having a wide light receiving face capable of facing the side end faces of the fluorescent light guide members 26, 26 may be utilized.
  • the stimulable phosphor sheet 10 is composed of a transparent supporting material and a stimulable phosphor overlaid on the transparent supporting material.
  • the stimulable phosphor sheet 10 is moved for sub-scanning with stimulating rays by two sets of sheet moving rollers 30 and 31 for nipping the stimulable phosphor sheet 10 on either side of the position of stimulating ray irradiation.
  • a curved fluorescent light guide member 36 faces the main scanning line on the stimulable phosphor sheet 10 from the side opposite to the irradiation side of the laser beam 13.
  • the stimulable phosphor sheet 10 exposed to the laser beam 13 emits the light 15 toward the fluorescent light guide member 36, the light 15 is guided by the fluorescent light guide member 36 and is detected by the photodetectors 17, 17.
  • the photodetectors 17, 17 constituted by solid state semiconductor devices are closely contacted with the side end faces of the fluorescent light guide member 36.
  • a single photomultiplier or a single solid state semiconductor device having a comparatively large light receiving face may be used instead of the photodetectors 17, 17.
  • the phosphor contained in the fluorescent light guide member may be, for example, an organic phosphor such as a coumarin derivative, a thioxanthene derivative, a perylene derivative, or a phorone complex as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 56(1981)-36549, 56(1981)-104987, 58(1983)-111886 or 59(1984)-89302.
  • an organic phosphor such as a coumarin derivative, a thioxanthene derivative, a perylene derivative, or a phorone complex as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 56(1981)-36549, 56(1981)-104987, 58(1983)-111886 or 59(1984)-89302.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
  • Molecular Biology (AREA)
  • Spectroscopy & Molecular Physics (AREA)
  • Radiography Using Non-Light Waves (AREA)
  • Facsimile Scanning Arrangements (AREA)

Claims (4)

  1. Appareil de reproduction d'image de rayonnement comprenant :
    i) une source de rayons de stimulation (12) pour produire des rayons de stimulation qui excitent un phosphore stimulable ;
    ii) un moyen de balayage principal par rayons de stimulation (14) pour balayer lesdits rayons de stimulation sur une feuille de phosphore stimulable (10) porteuse d'une image de rayonnement stockée sur elle ;
    iii) un moyen de sous-balayage (11) pour déplacer ladite feuille de phosphore stimulable (10) par rapport auxdits rayons de stimulation suivant une direction approximativement perpendiculaire à la direction dudit balayage ;
    iv) un élément de guidage de lumière en forme de feuille (16, 26, 36) recevant
    v) un photodétecteur (17) en contact intime avec une face d'extrémité dudit élément de guidage de lumière (16, 26, 36), caractérisé en ce que l'élément de guidage de lumière (16, 26, 36) contient un phosphore, l'élément de guidage de lumière étant ainsi fluorescent, et est disposé de telle sorte qu'une surface dudit élément de guidage de lumière de fluorescence (16, 26, 36) reçoive la lumière émise par ladite feuille de phosphore stimulable (10), le photodétecteur (17) recevant la lumière émise par ledit élément de guidage de lumière de fluorescence (16, 26, 36).
  2. Appareil selon la revendication 1, dans lequel ledit élément de guidage de lumière de fluorescence (16, 26, 36) est constitué par une matière plastique et par un phosphore organique dispersé à l'intérieur.
  3. Appareil selon la revendication 1, dans lequel ledit photodétecteur (16, 26, 36) comprend un dispositif à semiconducteur à l'état solide.
  4. Appareil selon la revendication 1, dans lequel un filtre (19) pour transmettre une fluorescence irradiée par ledit élément de guidage de lumière de fluorescence (16, 26, 36) suite à l'exposition à la lumière émise par ladite feuille de phosphore stimulable (10) et pour intercepter lesdits rayons de stimulation est prévu entre ladite face d'extrémité dudit élément de guidage de lumière de fluorescence (16, 26, 36) et ledit photodétecteur (17).
EP88100525A 1987-01-16 1988-01-15 Appareil de reproduction pour une image de radiation Expired - Lifetime EP0275116B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP62008570A JPH0618415B2 (ja) 1987-01-16 1987-01-16 放射線画像情報読取装置
JP8570/87 1987-01-16

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0275116A2 EP0275116A2 (fr) 1988-07-20
EP0275116A3 EP0275116A3 (en) 1989-08-09
EP0275116B1 true EP0275116B1 (fr) 1993-04-14

Family

ID=11696711

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP88100525A Expired - Lifetime EP0275116B1 (fr) 1987-01-16 1988-01-15 Appareil de reproduction pour une image de radiation

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US4873438A (fr)
EP (1) EP0275116B1 (fr)
JP (1) JPH0618415B2 (fr)
DE (1) DE3880161T2 (fr)

Families Citing this family (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH0783421B2 (ja) * 1987-04-08 1995-09-06 コニカ株式会社 画像情報読取装置
JPH0795189B2 (ja) * 1987-04-08 1995-10-11 コニカ株式会社 画像情報記録読取方法
US5070237A (en) * 1989-05-16 1991-12-03 Asahi Kogaku Kogyo K.K. Optical measurement and detection system
DD288679A5 (de) * 1989-10-18 1991-04-04 Veb Transformatoren- U. Roentgenwerk "H.Matern",De Vorrichtung zum zeilenweisen auslesen einer einen speicherleuchtstoff enthaltenden vorlage
DK232090A (da) * 1990-09-25 1992-03-26 Jydsk Telefon As Fremgangsmaade og apparat til aftastning af straalingskildefordelingen i et medium, f.eks. proteinfordelingen i en gel
US5221840A (en) * 1991-07-22 1993-06-22 Eastman Kodak Company Diffuse light collector
WO2000010035A1 (fr) * 1995-10-05 2000-02-24 Digidex Ltd Detecteur de rayonnement utilisant un cristal dope
DE69615523T2 (de) * 1996-01-16 2002-05-02 Agfa Gevaert Nv Vorrichtung zum Auslesen eines Strahlungsbildes
EP1511289B1 (fr) * 2003-08-19 2011-11-23 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Dispositif d'éclairage, dispositif de lecture d'images et dispositif de formation d'images
US20050133748A1 (en) * 2003-12-22 2005-06-23 Eastman Kodak Company Raster scanning system for scanning photo-stimulatable radiographic media
JP6059094B2 (ja) 2013-06-25 2017-01-11 浜松ホトニクス株式会社 放射線画像読出装置
DE102018123047A1 (de) * 2018-09-19 2020-03-19 Dürr Dental SE Vorrichtung zum Auslesen einer belichteten Speicherfolie

Family Cites Families (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5512429A (en) * 1978-07-12 1980-01-29 Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd Radioactive image reader
US4315318A (en) * 1978-12-26 1982-02-09 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Method and apparatus for processing a radiation image
US4346295A (en) * 1978-12-26 1982-08-24 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Radiation image read out device
JPS55116340A (en) * 1979-02-28 1980-09-06 Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd Method and device for processing gradation of radiation picture
JPS56104645A (en) * 1979-12-25 1981-08-20 Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd Radiation picture treating method and its device
US4371897A (en) * 1980-09-02 1983-02-01 Xerox Corporation Fluorescent activated, spatially quantitative light detector
DE3378864D1 (en) * 1982-08-25 1989-02-09 Toshiba Kk Storage & reconstruction apparatus for radiation image
DE3479469D1 (en) * 1983-06-24 1989-09-21 Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd Image scanning read-out apparatus
JPS60111634A (ja) * 1983-11-19 1985-06-18 富士写真フイルム株式会社 放射線画像情報読取装置
JPS60263569A (ja) * 1984-06-11 1985-12-27 Mita Ind Co Ltd 光学的読取り装置
JPH11395A (ja) * 1997-06-09 1999-01-06 Teruo Kasuga 腹膜透析用入浴パッド

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0275116A2 (fr) 1988-07-20
DE3880161D1 (de) 1993-05-19
US4873438A (en) 1989-10-10
DE3880161T2 (de) 1993-07-29
EP0275116A3 (en) 1989-08-09
JPS63176061A (ja) 1988-07-20
JPH0618415B2 (ja) 1994-03-09

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